Egg-carrier.



H. L. SMITH.

EGG CARRIER. APPLICATION HLED 1mm. 19M. RENEWED DEC. 1.1916.

1,21 3,550. Patented Jan. 23, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

"1WWWWWi H. L. SMITH.

, EGG CARRIER. APPLICATION FILED mum. 19x4. RENEWED DEC. 1.191s.

1,218,550., Patented Jan. 23,1917.

' 2 SHEET S-SHEET 2.

HOW RD LEROY suirr rrr, or s'r. LOUIS, mrssounr.

EGG-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J. an. 23, 1917..

Application filed January 31, 1914, Serial No. 815,656. Renewed December 1, 1916. Serial No. 134,509.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg- Carriers, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in egg carriers, and the object of my invention is to construct a carrier comprising trays constructed of yielding material in which are formed pockets arranged to receive and hold eggs whereby the eggs may be yieldingly carried and separated from each other to provide against breakage.

With the above purposes in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claim and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved carrier; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the carrier; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the carrier; Fig. 4 is a plan showing a fragment of one of the grooved frame elements of the tray; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation illustrating the means for securing the material having the egg pockets to the tray frame; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation of one of the complete trays in a partially open position.

Referring by numerals to the accompanydrawings: 7 designates the body of the device which is preferably in the form of a crate or box provided with a hinged lid or cover 8. At the free end of the lid 8 there is a strap 9 arranged to cooperate with a spring latch 10 secured to one of the fixed walls of the box body. Formed through said last mentioned wall of the box body and over said spring latch 10 there is an opening 11 providing access to said latch for the release thereof.

Secured to the walls of thebox body on the inside face of the box and to the inside face of the lid of thebox are the spaced apart guides 12. In the form shown the carrier is provided with two sets of such guides arranged to independently receive the trays 13.

Each of the trays-comprises open frames 14 and 15 which are hingedly connected. In the members constituting the said frames there are formed the grooves 16. Placed over the faces of said grooved frame members are the sheets 17 of wire netting in the bodies of Which are formed pockets 18 and to secure the margins of said sheets to said frame elements there are the strips 19 having the tongues 20 arranged to press said sheets into the grooves. The strips are then secured to the frames either by gluing or nailing as described.

It is to be observed that the pockets of the one sheet are inverted relative to the pockets in the companion sheet and that said pockets in the different sheets register to form a receptacle for an-egg. The said sheets 17 of wire-netting should, of course, be stretched tightly on said frames, and the construction of the netting should be sufficiently strong to support the weight of the eggs without sagging of the netting when the frames are placed in a horizontal position.

In use in order to pack the trays the frame elements are opened and an egg placed in each pocket of the one sheet, the companion sheet and frame member are then folded upon the first frame member and the eggs contained therein, thus it will be seen each egg is held in a yielding pocket inclependent of the other eggs. A tray thus filled is then slipped into the guides of the box proper. The lid is then closed, which act brings the guides carried by the lid to embrace the one margin of the frames of the tray. It will thus be seen that the hinged frames of the tray are securely locked against opening and movement in any direction relative to the box proper. By locating the said hinged trays between the said spaced-apart guide strips 12, as described, on the walls of the box and its lid, the said guide-strips will efi'ectually prevent the accidental separation of the clamping-strips 19 from their frames 14: and the consequent pulling out of the edges of the wire netting 17 from between said clampingstrips and said frames, and thus obviate any possible breakage of the eggs. It is evident that the eggs would be broken should the eggs of said wire netting be pulled from between said clamping members.

I claim:

An improved egg carrier, composed of a suitable box, a lid hinged to said box, spacedapart guide-strips on the internal walls of said box, a tray comprising two frames In testimony whereof, I have signed my hinged together and having sheets of wire name to this specification, in presence of two 19 netting the edges of which are clamped besubscribing witnesses.

tween said frames and suitable clampingw 1 strips, all held between said spaced guide- HOWARD LEROY strips on the box; the said wire-netting hav- Witnesses:

ing egg-receiving pockets; and suitable lock- E. L. WALLACE,

ing means for holding said lid closed. E. M. HARRINGTON.

Copies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

